Testing and Costs of Pediatric ED Visits for Cannabis Exposure

Delayed identification of marijuana use or exposure in children and adolescents led to more extensive and expensive pediatric emergency department evaluations.

As of June 2018, over 1000 medical and retail marijuana stores were open in Colorado. This widespread availability of marijuana has led to an increase in accidental intoxication and exposures. Researchers conducted a 5-year retrospective chart review of visits to a Colorado pediatric emergency department that were primarily related to THC exposure and resulted in hospital admission.

Among 37 children less than 12 years old, more than half (22) did not disclose or were unaware of potential marijuana exposure. The mean time to identification of exposure was almost 4 hours longer for these children than for those who disclosed. In the process of their medical evaluations, patients with undisclosed exposure underwent significantly more potential…

Reviewing Author

Carolyn K. Holland, MD, MEd, FACEP, FAAP

Disclosures

EquityGeneral Electric

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Program Committee Chief Resident Forum Subcommittee Chair); American College of Emergency Physicians (Education Committee member)

Carolyn K. Holland, MD, MEd, FACEP, FAAP

Disclosures

EquityGeneral Electric

Testing and Costs of Pediatric ED Visits for Cannabis Exposure

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Reviewing Author